State Rep. Zabner introduces bill to freeze tuition costs for students at state universities

As students continue to pay more for everything, one state representative wants to clamp down on the costliest part of secondary education.

State Rep. Adam Zabner, D-Iowa City, has proposed a bill that would stabilize tuition costs for students at the Regent universities — the University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University — during all four years they attend.

House File 2352 would provide affordable and accessible access to a college education and create stability and certainty for students, Zabner said.

"The truth is that when we deprive Iowa families and Iowa students of an education, we're depriving older folks of access to a nurse, to a doctor," Zabner said. "We're depriving small businesses across the state from having access to engineers and computer scientists, and it really creates challenges for us."

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How does Zabner's bill help?

If passed, beginning with the 2024-25 school year, students attending Iowa's Regent universities would have their tuition costs frozen for the four years they attend college.

That means an Iowa resident who enters the University of Iowa in the fall of 2024 paying roughly $11,000 — the tuition cost estimated by the UI — would pay that same amount each year for the first four years, regardless of any tuition hikes approved by the state Board of Regents.

The Regents have approved multiple tuition increases over the past few years, including a 4.25% increase for in 2022-2023 and a 3% increase for 2023-24..

Zabner's bill would not infinitely freeze tuition at its current rate but would instead freeze it when a student's first year starts.

To cover the additional costs incurred by the universities without burdening students, Zabner has suggested the state appropriate additional money to the universities.

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A bill meant to help students

House Democrats believe that passage of Zabner's bill would save Iowa residents around $2,500 in tuition and fees over four years.

Around 430,000 Iowans are saddled with student loan debt. Those people, on average, owe more than $30,000, according to the Education Data Initiative.

For Emma Seward, a Waverly, Iowa native and current University of Iowa student, high tuition costs have forced her to accelerate "the best years of her life" to finish her undergraduate degree in three years to keep costs low.

She hopes to attend UI's law school and estimates that she will have $200,000 in student loan debt somewhere in the ballpark by the time she is done with school.

"(It's) not because I'm lazy. I've had at least one job every semester of attendance," Seward said. "...It won't be because of my grades. I've been on the Dean's list every semester. It's not because I didn't apply for scholarships... It's not because of an absence of financial aid. I get thousands each year. I will be in this much debt simply because tuition is just too high."

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House support of Zabner's tuition bill

Twenty-four members of Iowa's House, all Democrats, have sponsored Zabner's bill, including Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City.

Zabner said while he is hopeful that support may come, he has not heard much positivity from Republicans.

"We have petitions going around, a lot of students have signed our petition calling for this legislation," Zabner said. "...My hope is that these people go home to their forums this weekend and that people tell them, 'The cost of college is out of control,' and they want their legislators to support this bill.

"But I'm not holding my breath."

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: State Rep. Zabner introduces bill to pause tuition hikes